1
as in destroys
to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of
vandals tore down the wooden fence blocking the entrance to the beach
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in demolishes
to destroy (as a building) completely by knocking down or breaking to pieces
the new owners apparently bought the house just to tear it down and build a lavish mansion in its place
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tears down
Verb
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If the infection is not contained by the body’s immune response, the bacteria destroys lung tissue which can trigger chest pain and coughing up of mucus or blood.—
Chase Hunter,
Mercury News,
31 Jan. 2026 -
For individual cellular damage, your body either repairs it or destroys the cell and replaces it.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The latest filing demolishes the timeworn claim that DOGE was infiltrated into Social Security in order to responsibly ferret out fraud and overspending.—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Jan. 2026
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If the city demolishes the building, the costs will be assessed to the property owner.—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Exposure to high humidity and low temperatures can severely alter these items, which not only ruins their aesthetic beauty but also impacts their sound.—
Kate Van Pelt,
The Spruce,
25 Jan. 2026
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However, too much acid ruins the dish.—
Lewis Schiff,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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This is reached by a sliding door and has his and hers wardrobes, a TV mounted on the ceiling that pulls down for vertical viewing, and a queen-sized storage bed.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
5 Jan. 2026
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That pulls down the median sales price even if the price per square foot continues to steadily rise from about $127 in 2016 to $231 today.—
Brandon Kochkodin,
Forbes.com,
27 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Imperfect Women, created for television by Annie Weisman and based on Araminta Hall’s novel of the same name, examines a crime that shatters the lives of a decades-long friendship of three women.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
3 Feb. 2026
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As the vehicle pulls slowly away, Pretti kicks at the taillight and then delivers a second kick that shatters the red plastic and leaves the taillight dangling.—
Michael Biesecker,
Fortune,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In a film like this, you’re ostensibly meant to root against the terror that the central characters wrecks on his victims.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
16 Jan. 2026
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This process wrecks kidney and heart tissue, causing the heart to enlarge and blood vessels to become stiffer, impeding circulation and setting the stage for clots.—
Jyoti Madhusoodanan,
Scientific American,
16 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Kyiv residents endure long daily blackouts as Russia devastates the power system, leaving tower block dwellers freezing in apartments with no heat or light.—
Derek Gatopoulos,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Jan. 2026
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Exacerbating the problem, unpredictable rainfall cycling between drought and floods further devastates the region.—
Nina Metz,
Chicago Tribune,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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When Mickey smashes the broom, each piece becomes a new water-fetching runaway robot.—
Bipul Sinha,
Fortune,
27 Jan. 2026
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If the spud bar smashes through, a person could too.—
Stephanie Pearson,
Outside,
14 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Tears down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tears%20down. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
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